Racing games



March 26, 1957 J. K. NoRTHRoP ET AL 1 2,786,680

RACING GAMES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1953 J. K. NORTHROP ET AL March 26, 1957 RACING GAMES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1953 March 26, 1957 J. K. NORTHROP ET AL 2,786,680

RACING GAMES Filed Nov. 24, 1955 4 sheets-sheet s March 26, 1957 J. K. NoRTHRoP ET Al. 2,786,680

l/RACING GAMES Filed Nov. 24, .1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .;Of .the board of VFi iingFlgure .1.

United States Patent- 'RACING GAMES John K. Northropylac-itic Palisades, and John H. Northrop, La Canada, Calif.

Application November 24, 1953, Serial No. 394,042

2,;Claims. (Cl. 273-.-86)

'he'presentinvention :relates .to games, and more .particularly :to va game :wherein toy'vehicles are progressed around :endless pathsv under control '.of individual players.

Amongit-he objects of the invention are:

:To .provide a means ifor .guiding a toy vehicle around an iendless; course on a v.playing .surface without the use of :ltracks vor other guidance means on that surface.

.To provide .a means for guiding a plurality of indiv-.idually controlled toyvehicles around `adjacent endless pathson a playing surface without the use of tracks on .thatlsurface To-.provide a means for controlling a toy vehicle :movable over .a playingsurface from beneath said surface.

To provide a simple means and method =of .controlling the speed and course of a toy vehicle over a generally at ,playing .surface without direct connection to said surface.

-Toprovide a ymeans and method `of individually drivingA a plurality of toy vehicles .over a surface area by means of fa single motor -only and to provide individual speedfcontrolsfor-each of said vehicles.

.To `provide a means for progressing a plurality of Vtoy vehicles over a playing surface at controlled speeds without physical yContact between a progressing means and they/chicles.

To provide a novel means and method for magnetically controlling :the speed and direction of a plurality of vtoy vehicles `onaaracing surface.

"To .provide a ymagneticcoupling between a toy vehicle .and adriven .element that permits skidding of the v'vehicle on turns.

v"llo-provide .a racing :game where toy vehicles are raced over; an endless .substantially at race. cou-rse .area under individual .control v.and in predetermined intersecting paths.

,To .provide -a means andmethod of progressing av plu- -ttality..of1.toy lvehicles over Va substantially lllat race course area .at variable .,speeds'with .the motive .power for said vehicles -supplied ffrOm va -single .constant speed motor.

i :T Eofprnvidea .toy'vehicle racing game in which a high degree of skill can be utilized -by the players thereof.

Toprovide a` toy vehicle .racing `game having Aa `race course .area onwhichtthe course to be followed bythe- `vehicles -is not visible toitheeye.

- To :provide .a toy vehicle racing game simulating in i-.many vrespectsreal midget .car racing.

aand to lprovide a novel-racing game. '-.lntl1e.drawings:

.'-Figure ,lisa topnperspective view of a game board .with l.racing.courses for four individually controlled.. toy vehicles.

.Figure vv2 is a .bottom plan view, partly diagrammatic, gure ltaken .as indicated by arrow 2 Figure 3 .is a crosssectional view takenas indicated by the lneP-iuEgUIe 2.

inech ansin usedin the game board shown in Figurel 1.

2,786,680 Entente@ Mar. 2.6, 119.57

Figure 5 is van enlarged. perspective view of one c'oil drive and control.

.Figure 5a is afdiasrammatis .Side View of .a :magnet mounting- 'Figure 6 is a sectianal-view .Showinsfhow a coil is driven.

Figure 7 is a sectional YView of the .edge construction of the'rgame 4.board vSllOvvn in Figune 1.

Figure 8 is a .side View partit/ingestion and partly `in elevation showing one magneti edrive.

Figure 9 is an end view Partly; ection and partly in elevation of the vehicle drive shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a perspectivewiew frena .below s hpwing me manner yiii which 'the .V hisle ,guet .an be mounted.

Figure ll-is a side view'ofaadr ing chain.

Figure l2is a `side view, partlygingsection, .of -ailatspiral c oil drive.

Figure 13 is aperspective -view-sljiowingrneans tor driving the driving chainshown in Figure 111.

Figure 14 is a View part-ly Ein section and -partly in elevation taken as indicated by thezline. I4-14 in lFigure 1,3.

Figure 15- is a bottom plan view showing how a -exible tube portion can be lused Yto .vary a vehicle path.

Figure 16 is `a `detailed perspective view of the flexible portion shown in Figure v15.

Referring irst ,to Figures v1 2., Sand 7, a game board 1.() is .providedwith -a at base ,-11.1 preferably formed trom corrugatedsandwich typecardbQrd `and-is clipped to the board 10 by edgeclps 12 as .bestshwnin f Figure 7.

The board 1.0 is .preferably lftngmed from light weight aluminum sheet on a rubber :bed .press 3by. the well known hydroforming process, and .has agaised bead ,-14 ajll around the .board yadjacent .the edge Vthereof and with a vdomed center 15 spaced from bead 14 to provide a generally-Hat closed race course area-16. A A.preferred course will `be longer than wide with semi-circularends, with an overall size .adapted to rest on larable top as best 4shown in Figure l, with the players .standingorisitting around this table.

The upper surface .of therace -cou-rse'area 16 is not providedwith any tracks or other vehicle .guiding means whatever, although this is the area .on which a plurality of .toy vehicles 17 travel. under thefontrol of the individualoperators as representedby,hands H in Figure ll.

All vehicles are controlled. gasto .their paths yaround coursearea 16 through mechanism beneath-the game board as best shown in Figures Q2, .3', .4, 5 and 6.

The path .each vehicle .is to 'follow is determined lby -the position beneath the board .10 of a tube20, one end of which is attached to a rst cross. bar 2 1 and vthen extends around and beneath .the racepourse area 16 to position theother end oppositeto ibutspaced away from the rst end, this other end being attached to secondcross b ar 22 .as bestshown in Figure4.

-In the example illustrated `and v.described four tubes 20 are used, .each tube passing ybeneath the other lthree tubes once as it extends aroundand y beneath course area lCe . 16, .asbest shown .in Figure 2. y fInthismanner peach tube ure 4fis.a`.b,ottom viewinjelevation .of thercoilfdrivie 20 can -be made of'the y same length,l thereby describing paths of vthe sarne length. Tubes 20 areofrnon-magnetic material ,such as aluminum or plastic, Iand are held fin generally parallel and `spaced position by tube clipvs`24 positioned at intervals.around -th'e.'-?,litentsof the-tubes, again best shown .in Figure 2.

Inside of .each tube-.20 isI as flexible driven member.

25, in lthis -case a closely -coiled -wire 2,6, of aluminum, forexample. T hejoint between'fthevopen endsof driven member r2S is triade, .in this y case,"byforcing theseends over` a cylindrical Ah-rico magnet 27, for example, slightly larger .than .the interi@ (of .cgil 2.6 .S0 thabthe. magnet 27 isftiehtlveripp. `.,-ivithnlastiwement bet-weep the .cciland themas-1.16 Xfrasec'uiitv, as beisliown 3 ber 25, and as the coil is made to t loosely within tube it can be progressed inside said tube 20 to cause the magnet 27 to traverse a path directly beneath course area 16.

yProgression of each driven member is accomplished in this case, as best shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

A shaft 36 is positioned beneath coils 26 and between cross bars 21 and 22 and is supported by bracket bearings 31 from game board 10. lust below each coil 25 is positioned an elongated pinion 32 having teeth 33 sized and positioned to mesh with the turns or" coil 25 as best shown in Figure 6. Next to each pinion 32 on shaft 3G is a small flywheel 35 having peripheral serrations 36. flywheel 35 is also positioned a clutch plate 37.

Pinion 32, iiywheel 35 and clutch plate 37 are all connected together and are free to rotate on shaft 31d. At the other end of pinion 32 from flywheel 35 is positioned, on shaft 30, a thrust collar 39 also free to rotate on shaft 30, this thrust collar being slidable on shaft 3d under control of a Bowden cable 40 of the slide Wire type, the control wire 4l of which is connected to thrust collar 39, the outer sheath 42 being connected to cross bar 2l.

Operation of Bowden cable 40 causes the thrust collar 39, pinion 32, flywheel 35 and clutch plate 37 to move longitudinally on shaft 30 until the clutch plate 37 is Vforced against a driven plate 44 pinned to shaft 39.

Shaft 30 is rotated by a constant speed motor 5G mounted beneath game board 10 in the domed center 15 thereof, through a exible shaft 51, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The drives for all four driven members are the same except for the noise producing means operated by serrations 36. These serrations are for the purpose of actuating reed vibrators 52 extending over ywheels 35 and terminating in contact with these ywheels so that when the flywheels are rotated, a noise resembling engine exhaust is produced. By varying the reed shape and thickness a distinctive sound can be provided for each vehicle.

The four toy vehicles 17, such as miniature racing cars, preferably formed of molded plastic, as best shown in Figures 8, 9 and l0, are progressed around the course area 16 by being magnetically coupled to driven magnet 27. To provide this coupling, a car magnet 55 is provided for each vehicle, this magnet being held in clips 56 dropped down from the front axle 57 of the car i7, this axle being rotatable on vertical axle pivot59. Magnet 55 extends well forward of axle 57 and is positioned close to the top surface of area 16. The poles of the driven magnet 27 and the car magnet 55 are reversed to provide coupling when the cars 17 are facing in the direction the driven magnet 27 is being progressed, so that as the driven members 25 are progressed through tubes 20 by clutching into rotative shaft 36 the cars will be progressed over race course area 16 following paths as prescribed by the paths of the driven magnets to' which the car magnets are coupled.

An important feature of the magnetic coupling between the car magnets and the driven magnets is to be noted. Modern Alnico magnets, for example, are sufficient ly strong so that even when the driven and car magnets are separated somewhat during the passage of the driven magnet in one tube below the other tubes, sufficient coupling will still exist to progress the vehicle across the tube cross-over so that that particular vehicle will cross from one side of the race course area to the other.

As shown in Figure l, the game is preferably placed on a table 60 with four Bowden cable actuators 6l. spaced along the outside of bead 14 of the game board. These actuators are in positions where two players can control the Bowden cables on one side of the game from one side of table 60 with the other two players on the other side of the table as indicated by hands H in Figure l. Motor 50 is provided with the usual cord and plug 62 for insertion into a convenient electrical outlet 6d.

In operation, motor 50 is started, thereby rotating shaft Next to 4% 30 and all four driven plates 44 at a constant speed. Preferably, the toy racing cars 17 are formed of different colored plastic, and are initially placed side-by-side over tubes 26 on the racing area 16 at a start-finish line 65 preferably directly over shaft 39. The proper position is preferably shown to the players by the use of colored marks 66 on the upper surface of the racing area at the start line, the colors of these marks corresponding to the colors of the cars. Similarly, color marks 67 are positioned in front of each player on the playing area i6 so that each player knows Where to replace his car on the racing area to be over the proper tube, in case y to make the action of the cars more realistic.

the car leaves the racing area or is stalled.

Each player can progress the driven magnet 27 corresponding to his car, by manipulation of his Bowden cable actuator 6l, which, when operated, causes the corresponding flywheel 35 and pinion 32 to rotate, thereby progressing driven member 25 in tube 20 to carry the driven magnet 27 around the endless path. When the proper car i7 is coupled to the driven magnet 27, this car will be progressed around the prescribed path on the racing area 16. When all four cars are coupled, they can be raced, taking into account of the fact that the car paths intersect at every cross-over. Thus the players must carefully control their individual cars to avoid co1- lisions. Crossover positions are preferably not marked.

It is also to be noted that by mounting the car magnet 55 on the front axle, steering is facilitated, and that the vehicles, if propelled around the curves too fast can skid, possibly into the path of another car, thereby providing a course hazard. However, skidding does not necessarily cause de-coupling of the magnets 27 and 55, but excessive speed on turns will.

Although the motor 50 is a constant speed motor, the speed of the cars can be controlled by the players from zero to maximum by careful clutch control through the Bowden cables 40. The flywheels 35 contribute some momentum to the system, preventing instant stops, etc., Realism is further simulated by the use of the reeds 52'which provide distinctive sounds for each vehicle, the frequency however varying as the speed of the cars is changed. In Figures ll to 14, two alternate driven members 25 are shown.

In Figure ll the driven member is a bead chain 25a, the two ends thereof being joined by a driven magnet 27a. In Figure l2, the driven member is a flat spiral coil 25b, the coiling being such that no space ordinarily appears between convolutions. Y Both the bead chain 25a and the flat coil 25b can be driven asshown for the bead chain 25a in Figure 13. In this case shaft 30 supports the flywheel 35 which in this case has a facing 70 of rubber or the like, chain 25a passing across this face as shown in Figure 14. An idler plate 7l having a similar facing 72 thereon is positioned 0n shaft 39 so that when facings 71 and 72 are forced toward each other by movement of thrust collar 39 under Bowden cable control, the chain will be gripped and progressed in its tube 20. In Figures l5 and i6 an additional hazard is shown. Here, a section 20a is made of flexible material and anchored at each end by section brackets 80. At the center of section 2tlg a connector $1 is attached and this connector is made movable as shown by broken lines x and y by the use of an auxiliary Bowden control 82. When one such flexible section 2da is positioned adjacent each player, this player at will can change the course of 'his own particular car to interfere, if desired, with other cars being progressed.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a racing game in which a plurality of players can participate and in which a high degree of skill can be utilized by each player, and is in fact required, in order to win.

While in order to comply with the statute, the inven'- tion has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises a preferred form of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus of the class described comprising a relatively thin sheet of non-magnetic material having a substantially lla-t horizontal upper surface thereon, a plurality of tubes positioned immediately beneath said sheet and said area, each tube having the opposite ends thereof opposed and spaced apart a distance short with respect to the length of the tube, said tube and the space between said ends describing an endless course beneath said area, a portion of each of said tubes being flexible, means for moving said flexible portions of said tubes to change the course thereof, an endless flexible element inside of each tube and extending across the space between the ends thereof, a magnet attached to and progressible within said tube by said element over said course, a plurality of toy vehicles moveable over said area, means for magnetically coupling a vehicle to a magnet, and means for progressing said flexible element through said tubes to move said magnet over said courses.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for moving said iexible portions of said tubes t0 change the course thereof is adapted for manual movement.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,947,608 May Feb. 20, 1934 2,218,164 Carpenter Oct. 15, 1940 2,254,967 Larkins Sept. 2, 1941 2,555,785 Cook June 5, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,345 Switzerland July 9, 1910 669,167 Great Britain Mar. 26, 1952 

